Prideful Sloth: Crafting Games with Heart and Soul

The wholesome gaming trend, popularized by titles like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing: New Horizons, may seem like a recent phenomenon, but there were developers like Prideful Sloth working on non-violent games long before. Founded in 2015, this Brisbane-based studio has been focusing on explorative and cozy titles, including Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles and Grow: Song of the Evertree. The latter, released in 2021, sold 120,000 copies in just a few months. Co-founded by Joel Styles, Cheryl Vance, and later joined by John Northwood, the team describes themselves as a 'micro-AAA studio,' applying their collective AAA experience to create a different kind of game. Northwood, a programmer by trade and director at Prideful Sloth since 2016, mentions that the team was inspired by Nintendo and Harvest Moon, and that their goal is to create 'games with heart.' When asked about the 'Animal Crossing effect' following New Horizons' success, Northwood believes that the space is 'definitely growing' and that COVID was a 'very successful' period for the studio. However, he emphasizes that Prideful Sloth's business model focuses on sustainability, rather than trying to create one-hit wonders. The studio, now composed of seven people, has been working on the town-building sim Go-Go Town for the past year, using an open development model. This approach allows the team to release a stable build every two months, collect feedback from players, and refine the game. Northwood highlights the challenges of open development, including the need to be open to criticism and the possibility of having to change or discard favorite ideas. Despite these challenges, the team believes that this approach will ultimately lead to a better game. Prideful Sloth's goal of sustainability is rooted in its location in Brisbane, where the studio has to be self-reliant and profitable. Northwood mentions that the studio received funding from Screen Queensland in 2022, which has enabled them to stand a little further and expand their operations. When asked about the secret of Australian devs, Northwood jokes that Australians are 'pretty chill' and 'a bunch of weirdos.' He also mentions that the Brisbane scene is a tight-knit community, with a lot of mobile game development and small AA studios. Overall, Prideful Sloth's story is one of passion, perseverance, and a commitment to creating games that bring joy and comfort to players.